Ida's New World by Lise Muusmann

Author:Lise Muusmann
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Juvenile Historical Fiction
ISBN: 9788793886032
Publisher: ePublishify/Fuzzypress
Published: 2019-09-04T16:00:00+00:00

 Chapter 34

Early the next day everybody got busy. They were going to build a peat house like the one they lived in at Walter and Richard’s farm. Peat had to be cut from the peat-bog at one side of the plateau and trees felled, so that they could make a frame and erect a roof on the house. Henry and Rose had done this before and they had all the tools necessary in the toolbox underneath the wagon. First they had to clear the ground and make it flat, then mark out the shape of the house, where they would build the walls, and leave room to add a shed for animals and for storage.

The sun was up and shining brightly from the early morning, and it became a very warm spring day. The men worked steadily cutting peat and the women helped stacking the sods to dry. Soon they began to use the peat like bricks, stacking them row upon row to make walls.

The house was built on the plateau, facing out to the prairie and backed into the hillside so it would be sheltered from the weather.

“You see, Frederik, the weather out here can be so wild, you wouldn’t believe it. There are summers here, that are hot as hell and there are tornadoes, and then the winters are cold as ice. Everything lies under snow for months and the temperatures can drop to -40 degrees Fahrenheit. So, it really is cold. You have to have a good fire.”

“Yes, we are not used to such winters in Denmark, though we find them cold enough. The summers can be warm, but nothing like here, where the temperature can rise up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, or so I have heard.”

Henry nodded, as he got up and looked out across the landscape.

“Lets take the wagon down to those trees in the valley and find some sturdy poles for the roof.” Henry hitched up the horses and Frederik jumped up onto the drivers box. They took the slope carefully, and soon they reached the valley to look for straight trees and branches.

Ida and Lisa were put to work peeling potatoes. Ida had to help Lisa with the peeling knife.

“Take care that you do not cut yourself,” Ida advised. “There is no doctor to be had around here.”

Anna could not help laughing. She was busy carrying the drying peat to Katrina and Rose, who were working hard stacking the peat bricks in a staggered manner, forming rows, and smoothing the surface with their hands as they went.

“I had never imagined I would be here in America and building my own house out of peat,” Katrina said and wiped the sweat from her face with her sleeve. “My God, this is hot work.”

She removed the headscarf from her head and mopped her face and neck.

“Can you prepare a fire, Ida?” Rose asked and looked over at her.

“Yes, I can manage that. Lisa, come, we are going to get some firewood,” Ida said and took Lisa by the hand.

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